This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

When Santa falls down drunk in the Thanksgiving Day Parade, reluctant Macy's supervisor Doris Walker (Maureen O'Hara) offers the job to a bearded Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwenn, who won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar) purporting to be the real Santa! During the Christmas season, he shares a flat with Doris's neighbor (John Payne), who has eyes for Doris. Kris hopes to unite the two while winning over Doris's skeptical 6-year-old daughter (Natalie Wood).Many movies and television films have stolen from this film. One movie that stole from the courtroom scenes is the terrible movie "Kidco".This film is well made and is a classic for a reason. "It's Near Perfect"

Gimbel's is out-of-business and of course the cars and clothes are so 1940's! Nothing gets pasted and glued anymore and the competing "ads" would all be scanned! However, the story is so deliciously unique. A perfectly cast Maureen O'Hara (with her Irish brogue)) and Natale Wood as her sophisticated child, who doesn't know any fairy tales at all. . Edmund Gwynne is the best Santa Claus ever! A great supporting cast as well. "Kris Kringle" almost lets himself be committed to "Bellevue" Mental Hospital because he doesn't think anyone believes in Santa anymore. As other reviewers said: Social comment abounds as women are not taken as "seriously" as men and a personnel "expert" gives a young boy damaging psychological advice. The courtroom scenes are dazzling and do not slow down the action at all. (It's a sanity hearing and not a trial.) Santa get "off" because he is recognized by the Postal Service, as bags of letters get dumped on the judge's desk. Originally colorized (and just broadcast that way) but currently only available in black and white.

Miracle on 34th Street, the original from 1947, is one of my all-time favorite Christmas movies. Particularly, Edmund Gwenn as Kris Kringle who is the iconic Santa Claus in my opinion. Most of the film features an endearing story of a non-believer being presented with an unbelievable reality. There is the court case aspect of the film, which is a little silly but doesn't tarnish this classic film. I give Miracle on 34th Street the Not Quite Golden, Ponyboy rating.Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwenn) winds up working as a Macy's Santa Claus after covering for a drunk during the annual parade. He manages to convince many that he is the real thing except for a psychiatrist named Granville Sawyer (Porter Hall). Sawyer looks to prove Kringle is insane while Kris focuses on convincing Susan (Natalie Wood) and her mother Doris (Maureen O'Hara) that he is in fact Santa.The theme in this film is one common within Christmas movies about Santa Claus. The power of believing is so great that it defies logic. It's a positive idea that is displayed by the characters in the film at various periods. The adults are all hesitant to accept Kris Kringle as the one true Santa Claus, but they are also hesitant to outright dismiss it. There is clearly something about his presence that they can't quite pinpoint. It's the same feeling I get when I watch the movie as I know it's Edmund Gwenn, but he really looks and acts like Santa. It's why I come back to this film almost every Christmas.The film culminates with Kris's sanity being put on trial after he strikes Sawyer with his cane. Sawyer had predicted that Kris would go violent, but he fabricated the facts as to why. Ultimately, Kris ends up trying to help Alfred (Alvin Greenman) who Sawyer has been manipulating. After confronting Sawyer, Kris does strike him only because he finds him a horrible human being. The court case is interesting and eventually comes down to Fred Gailey's (John Payne) ability to prove that Kris is the one true Santa. I won't spoil it, but you can guess it'll end in a happy way.This classic Christmas movie is one that I'll watch probably the rest of my life. It reminds me of my childhood and the power of believing. Sure, logic dictates most of my actions, but sometimes it's more fun to believe. What's wrong with a magical man delivering presents to all the good children across the world. Nothing...nothing is wrong with that.

"Doris Walker" (Maureen O'Hara) is an employee of Macy's department store in New York City and is in charge of the big Thanksgiving parade which is held every year. Much to her chagrin, she discovers at the last minute that the person she hired to be Santa Claus has gotten himself quite intoxicated and cannot do his job. Fortunately, she just happens to find a person who is both capable and willing to fill in and so she hires him on the spot. He then does such an outstanding job that he is hired to work in the department store from that moment until Christmas. Unfortunately, Doris soon learns that the person they hired actually believes that he is "Kris Kringle" (Edmund Gwenn) in actual life and this results in his sanity being questioned. Now rather than reveal any more of this film I will just say that, although it has aged quite a bit, it is still a fun and enjoyable movie which is suitable for the entire family. As a matter of fact, Edmund Gwenn won the Academy Award for "Best Actor" and the movie itself was nominated for "Best Picture". Again, it's a nice little film and definitely worth a watch--especially during the holidays.